Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has written a letter to chief minister Nitish Kumar requesting him if he could be allowed to retain the 5 Deshratna Marg bungalow, which has been now allotted to deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

On August 29, the building construction department issued a notification allotting bungalows to 13 BJP ministers and to LJP minister Pashupati Kumar Paras.

According to the notification, Tejashwi was allotted 1 Polo Road, which is at present occupied by Modi and the deputy chief minister has been allotted the 5 Deshratna Marg house, which is occupied by Tejashwi.

'I have not made any unreasonable or illegal request to the chief minister. Through the letter I have requested the chief minister to allow me to continue in 5 Deshratna Marg bungalow as the Leader of Opposition,' Tejashwi said.

He was unable to recall the date when he had shot the letter to Nitish but stressed it was written in the first week of September after the notification was issued by the building construction department.

During his almost two-year stint as deputy chief minister Tejashwi continued to stay with his parents Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi at her 10 Circular Road residence.

Even Tej Pratap was allotted 3 Deshratna Marg but he too stayed with his parents. However, the brothers were using their respective bungalows for the official purposes and meet supporters and workers at their respective bungalows.

On which ground he wants to keep the bungalow, Tejashwi said: 'In the past Prem Kumar, Nand Kishore Yadav and Sushil Kumar Modi were allotted bungalows as Leader of Opposition and they continued to stay in the same bungalows as long as they remained on the post. Even Sushil Modi ji was given 1 Polo Road bungalow as Leader of Opposition not as deputy chief minister. Thus, I have requested the chief minister to allow me to retain the 5 Deshratna Marg bungalow.'

The letter has been sent to the Chief Minister's Secretariat and so far no one has responded to Tejashwi's request. Sources, however, said the building construction department in a few days would send him a reply on behalf of the chief minister with a most likely cold response.

On Tejashwi's request, Sushil Modi said: 'At the age of 26 he (Tejashwi) has 30 properties, still his yearning for a government bungalow is fascinating.'

As things stand now, the department has not issued the eviction order and will soon serve it to the present occupants of the RJD and the Congress.